--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is not better that all felony suspects…" description: "\"It is not better that all felony suspects die than that they escape. Where the suspect poses no immediate threat to the officer and no threat to others..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/byron-white-28291_deadly-force_it-is-not-better-that-all-felony-suspect_1847698.jpg" --- # It is not better that all felony suspects die than that… ![“It is not better that all felony suspects die than that they escape. Where the suspect poses no immediate threat to the officer and no threat to others, the harm resulting from failing to apprehend him does not justify the use of deadly force to do so. It is no doubt unfortunate when a suspect who…” quote by Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/byron-white-28291_deadly-force_it-is-not-better-that-all-felony-suspect_1847698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/byron-white-28291_deadly-force_it-is-not-better-that-all-felony-suspect_1847698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb6/byron-white-28291_deadly-force_it-is-not-better-that-all-felony-suspect_1847698.jpg) > “It is not better that all felony suspects die than that they escape. Where the suspect poses no immediate threat to the officer and no threat to others, the harm resulting from failing to apprehend him does not justify the use of deadly force to do so. It is no doubt unfortunate when a suspect who is in sight escapes, but the fact that the police arrive a little late or are a little slower afoot does not always justify killing the suspect.” [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The use of deadly force by police must be justified by an immediate threat; escaping suspects do not merit lethal action if no danger exists. **In simple terms:** Police should not kill unless there is an imminent danger. Key Takeaway Avoid lethal force unless absolutely necessary. Themes law enforcement ethics use of force Mood serious reflective Type legal ethical When to use this quote - police patrols - suspect pursuits - risk assessments Key Concepts proportionality public safety rights Questions to Reflect On - When is lethal force justified? - How can police balance safety and rights? A Different Perspective Escaping suspects may still pose hidden risks; judgment can be subjective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deadly force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadly-force/) [Doubt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doubt/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) [Police](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/police/) [Threat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/threat/) ## Related quotes > [Where the suspect poses no immediate threat to the officer and no threat to others, the harm resulting from the failing to apprehend him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/where-the-suspect-poses-no-immediate-threat-to-the-officer-and-no/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [It is evil to justify killing (unborn babies) by the happy outcome of eternity for the one killed. This same justification could be used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-piper/it-is-evil-to-justify-killing-unborn-babies-by-the-happy-outcome-of/) [John Piper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-piper/) > [Only religion could justify killing an adult with a family because he carried out abortions of unwanted or unhealthy fetuses that don't even have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-alan-harvey/only-religion-could-justify-killing-an-adult-with-a-family-because-he/) [David Alan Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-alan-harvey/) > [“War needs no gods, only mortal contestants, two enemies and whatever reasons they invent in order to justify killing each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-erikson/war-needs-no-gods-only-mortal-contestants-two-enemies-and-whatever/) [Steven Erikson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-erikson/) > [If you can justify killing to eat meat, you can justify the conditions of the ghetto. I cannot justify either one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/if-you-can-justify-killing-to-eat-meat-you-can-justify-the-conditions/) [Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/) > [“But you can always justify killing animals on the grounds that you want to eat them, or wear them, or that they smell bad,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/but-you-can-always-justify-killing-animals-on-the-grounds-that-you/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [One cannot have a right to life without the right to defend it with deadly force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-montague/one-cannot-have-a-right-to-life-without-the-right-to-defend-it-with/) Bruce Montague > [“Deadly force must always be a last resort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/deadly-force-must-always-be-a-last-resort/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [“you can’t use, or even threaten the use of deadly force in a non-deadly force situation – period! You can’t fire a warning shot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gutmacher/you-can-t-use-or-even-threaten-the-use-of-deadly-force-in-a-non/) [Jon Gutmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gutmacher/) > [A half century ago Herbert Wechsler could justify the legal right of deadly force self-defense in terms of the "universal judgment that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kates/a-half-century-ago-herbert-wechsler-could-justify-the-legal-right-of/) [Don Kates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kates/) > [Even if the criticism is not always perfectly informed and in some cases I would deem unfair, just the noise, attention, fuss probably keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/even-if-the-criticism-is-not-always-perfectly-informed-and-in-some/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods. These laws try to fix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/it-s-time-to-question-laws-that-senselessly-expand-the-concept-of/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Government can only do two things: It can beat people up and kill them. Or it can threaten to do so. When it seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/government-can-only-do-two-things-it-can-beat-people-up-and-kill-them/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [The one thing government has which we (you or I or any corporation) DON'T have, is the ability to use deadly force to accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/the-one-thing-government-has-which-we-you-or-i-or-any-corporation-don/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) ## More by Byron White > [We're the only branch of government that explains itself in writing every time itmakes a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/we-re-the-only-branch-of-government-that-explains-itself-in-writing/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The Court is most vulnerable and comes nearest to illegitimacy when it deals with judge-made constitutional law having little or no cognizable roots in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-court-is-most-vulnerable-and-comes-nearest-to-illegitimacy-when/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The law is constantly based on notions of morality, and if all laws representing essentially moral choices are to be invalidated under the due…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-law-is-constantly-based-on-notions-of-morality-and-if-all-laws/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The Court is most vulnerable and comes nearest to illegitimacy when it deals with judge-made constitutional law having little or no cognizable roots in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-court-is-most-vulnerable-and-comes-nearest-to-illegitimacy-when-2/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [While the collateral consequences of drugs such as cocaine are indisputably severe, they are not unlike those which flow from the misuse of other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/while-the-collateral-consequences-of-drugs-such-as-cocaine-are/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The issue presented is whether the Federal Constitution confers a fundamental right upon homosexuals to engage in sodomy, and hence invalidates the laws of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-issue-presented-is-whether-the-federal-constitution-confers-a/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [When the whistle blows you have only a limited amount of time to do what you have to do. You either do it then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/when-the-whistle-blows-you-have-only-a-limited-amount-of-time-to-do/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [Sports constantly make demands on the participant for top performance, and they develop integrity, self-reliance and initiative. They teach you a lot about working…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/sports-constantly-make-demands-on-the-participant-for-top-performance/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [Maintaining order in the classrooms has never been easy and it is evident that the school setting requires some easing of the restrictions to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/maintaining-order-in-the-classrooms-has-never-been-easy-and-it-is/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [Respondent would have us announce a fundamental right to engage in homosexual sodomy. This we are quite unwilling to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/respondent-would-have-us-announce-a-fundamental-right-to-engage-in/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The 1st Amendment protects the right to speak, not the right to spend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-1st-amendment-protects-the-right-to-speak-not-the-right-to-spend/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [We're the only branch of government that explains itself in writing every time it makes a decision.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/we-re-the-only-branch-of-government-that-explains-itself-in-writing-2/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [As an exercise of raw judicial power, the Court perhaps has authority to do what it does today; but, in my view, its judgment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/as-an-exercise-of-raw-judicial-power-the-court-perhaps-has-authority/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The role of the judge is simply to decide cases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-role-of-the-judge-is-simply-to-decide-cases/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) > [The risk of racial prejudice infecting a capital sentencing proceeding is especially serious in light of the complete finality of the death sentence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-white/the-risk-of-racial-prejudice-infecting-a-capital-sentencing/) [Byron White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) [Explore all 19 Byron White quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-white/) ## More Deadly force quotes > [“The set of circumstances that justifies the use of deadly force is a situation of immediate danger of death or great bodily harm to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/the-set-of-circumstances-that-justifies-the-use-of-deadly-force-is-a/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [The one thing government has which we (you or I or any corporation) DON'T have, is the ability to use deadly force to accomplish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/the-one-thing-government-has-which-we-you-or-i-or-any-corporation-don/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [Government can only do two things: It can beat people up and kill them. Or it can threaten to do so. When it seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-neil-smith/government-can-only-do-two-things-it-can-beat-people-up-and-kill-them/) [L. Neil Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-neil-smith/) > [It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods. These laws try to fix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-holder/it-s-time-to-question-laws-that-senselessly-expand-the-concept-of/) [Eric Holder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-holder/) > [Even if the criticism is not always perfectly informed and in some cases I would deem unfair, just the noise, attention, fuss probably keeps…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/even-if-the-criticism-is-not-always-perfectly-informed-and-in-some/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [A half century ago Herbert Wechsler could justify the legal right of deadly force self-defense in terms of the "universal judgment that there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kates/a-half-century-ago-herbert-wechsler-could-justify-the-legal-right-of/) [Don Kates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kates/) > [“you can’t use, or even threaten the use of deadly force in a non-deadly force situation – period! You can’t fire a warning shot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gutmacher/you-can-t-use-or-even-threaten-the-use-of-deadly-force-in-a-non/) [Jon Gutmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gutmacher/) > [“Deadly force must always be a last resort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massad-ayoob/deadly-force-must-always-be-a-last-resort/) [Massad Ayoob](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massad-ayoob/) > [One cannot have a right to life without the right to defend it with deadly force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-montague/one-cannot-have-a-right-to-life-without-the-right-to-defend-it-with/) Bruce Montague > [“The law is that the discharge of a firearm is always the use of “deadly force”. Only time will tell if they will reverse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gutmacher/the-law-is-that-the-discharge-of-a-firearm-is-always-the-use-of/) [Jon Gutmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gutmacher/) > [“deadly force must be recognized as a LAST RESORT for use only when you need to save your LIFE.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/col-ben-findley/deadly-force-must-be-recognized-as-a-last-resort-for-use-only-when/) [Col Ben Findley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/col-ben-findley/) > [There's a very good reason that governments aren't supposed to compete with private-enterprise companies. Governments have monopolies on certain things, like eminent domain and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/there-s-a-very-good-reason-that-governments-aren-t-supposed-to/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ “\[A\] person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:             (1) He or she reasonably… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-bloom/a-person-is-justified-in-the-use-of-deadly-force-and-does-not-have-a/) [Lisa Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-bloom/) > [There is no question that Darren Wilson caused the death of Michael Brown by shooting him, but the inquiry does not end there. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-p-mcculloch/there-is-no-question-that-darren-wilson-caused-the-death-of-michael/) [Robert P. McCulloch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-p-mcculloch/) > [“The law basically states that deadly force, or the threat of using deadly force shall be used only if you reasonably believe that such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-gutmacher/the-law-basically-states-that-deadly-force-or-the-threat-of-using/) [Jon Gutmacher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-gutmacher/) [Browse all 20 Deadly force quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadly-force/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is not better that all felony suspects die than that they escape. Where the suspect poses no immediate threat to the officer and no threat to others, the harm resulting from failing to apprehend him does not justify the use of deadly force to do so. 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